Dark days are upon the besieged inhabitants of Sol III. However, an incandescent explosion of hope returns to Earth in the form of Admiral D.L. Bradley and his unstoppable fleet of vengeance as our story begins. But what price have Bradley and his soldiers paid for the terrible weapons they now turn against the Drengin menace?
As I noted last week, we're working hard on bringing more character and flavor to the Galactic Civilizations universe. The foundation of that effort is to bring the leaders to life, not just with the wonderful visuals our talented cinematic artist Kevin Manning has crafted for each of them, but with personalities of their own.
Joining Harondin Gaul of the Iridium, this week I bring you Admiral D.L. Bradley of the Terran First Fleet. The Terrans have long been known as the diplomats and traders of the galaxy, but the Thalan have never stopped their dire warnings of an apocalypse started by the humans. Seeing their allies in the Grand Coalition all but exterminated and watching billions of humans slaughtered as their empires burned will have an effect on any species. The Drengin/Yor sneak attack at the conclusion of the Dread Lords war may not work out so well for the belligerent aliens after all...
(click the pic for a nice big wallpaper-sized version)
* * *
The self-imposed exile Admiral D.L. Bradley led his fleet into has taken its toll on the once-friendly leader. Giving the order to turn tail and run from forces he knew would simply turn their guns on undefended Terran colonies cost Bradley dearly, and he is determined to make that sacrifice count.
Sixteen years have passed in our galaxy since the Terran First Fleet escaped into the pocket dimension that previously housed the Dread Lords. Sixteen years of the fleet being cut off entirely from the fate of the rest of the human race.
Sixteen years for Bradley and his veterans to prepare the hell they so dearly wanted to unleash on the treacherous Drengin and Yor that shattered the Grand Coalition and killed untold billions of humans and their allies.
The time in isolation tempered Bradley’s already steely soul into a core of pure diamond. His demeanor, once friendly, is now cool and professional. Only by locking away his anger and grief at the aftermath of the Dread Lords war has he been able to remain in control and keep his fleet focused on the mission. After sixteen years, those emotions have atrophied from neglect. The mission is everything. Nothing that detracts from the mission is worth considering.
Despite his unyielding devotion to the vengeance he has pledged his life to, Bradley is an extremely competent leader. His intuitive understanding of interpersonal relations, morale, and diplomacy has kept the fleet unified in its purpose in the face of the harsh conditions they have endured. He can be accommodating and even gracious regarding disputes, requests, or treaties that he doesn’t see as affecting his core mission. As soon as Bradley feels that his primary goals are threatened, he flatly refuses to compromise and will fight to the bitter end to achieve them.
Terrans remain notable among the galaxy’s major species for their diplomatic gifts and innovative thinking, but the tragedy recently visited upon them has uncovered a hard core within not just Bradley but in the collective Terran soul. Thalan warnings about the threat Terrans supposedly pose to the galaxy, once written off as deranged nonsense, are becoming easier and easier for the other races to heed.
Bring on the gameplay. I'm glad people get into this stuff but for me, it's fluff. Perhaps I get into it on some subconscious level while fighting the leaders in sand box games but I don't play campaigns ever in GalCiv, Civ, LH, etc - just sand box. I might do campaign mode in AOW3 since it's more RPGish (or not since it has sand box too) but even in LH I have no desire since the sand box mode is so good.
And I hope all game designers continue to make games that are games and that are fun.
A space game based on our current reality would be pretty boring. You load up your colony ship, which is just you and your computer, launch into space, and several thousand years later when your ship finally finds a new planet and you're so long dead that you're dust, your computer finally announces that you've found a planet to colonize. But hey, at least it's quiet!
I agree. As a sci-fi writer, I feel that the best thing about portraying humans is showing how far they have come from the 20th/21st century.
I find your lack of faith disturbing... There is no antagonism between being logical/realistic/consistent and being fun at the same time. If you already implemented something, making it right would be as easy as making it wrong. Only right. You already invested time into making it, why not to "install" it correctly, not the other way around? Just because "you're an artist, and you see it that way"?
Whether you want it, or do not want it, everything is based on our reality. Because that's the reality we have, reality where we got knowledge and experience we have. Sure, if you came from Betelgeuse, you may find our reality boring, but I find it quite entertaining. Within reason, of course, for instance, I do not understand consumption of alcohol, while some people out there seem to be enjoying the process quite a lot. And they're going to defend their right to do so, even if they attempt to drive themselves back home later.
But I digress. My point is that game shouldn't be 100% realistic - I doubt anyone would want to feel impact of "less-than-lethal" shot from 12 gauge shotgun, when his protagonist on screen been shot (though developers of modern "shooters" should feel it and understand that taking recharge mechanic from Halo is not that good), or feel what it's like to be in amphibious craft which started sinking for no apparent reason, or experience those nice feelings from close artillery impact.
Game is game, it should be entertaining. Yet it should be believable. Within reason, of course. If technical side could change, and change very fast, as progress of last few centuries showed, do you think human will change, with all those centuries of evolution under our belts? Our abilities surely could be extended with tools, but should those tools fail, what we will see? A helpless bipedal? Cyborg? Genetically modified creature? Or old human, with all limitations, explaining why our military organisations are basically unchanged for centuries and regardless of countries you'll see similar structure? Just because our brain has bandwidth and can't process more info, regardless of technical progress?
You can't even imagine...
Anywhere to read your work?
And how far? How your humans do look like - almost as we do, or as some tiny creature with small legs - because machines will move it, with small arms - because machines will do all the work for it, with small body - because it wouldn't need all that energy we need now, with small stomach - because it will be fed with small nutritious pellets, but with very big head, because it had to think "where the hell find those pellets?"
That was a joke. Ha-ha - fat chance.
Well, most 4X set in space are really just an extrapolation of current naval warfare. Real conflict fought in space would be totally different, with war being fought through stealthy automated systems primarily set to disrupt your logistics on a planetary and interplanetary level.
It wouldnt be boring, just very different.
Silent hunter without floor and ceiling?
What do you get when a Russian... Forget the riddle.
Your a Russian construction worker that doesn't drink and plays video games. I didn't think it was possible, and you speak English! I think your great, I don't drink either.
I think we would more likely be fat in the future, not tiny.
In addition to me being a Soviet tank...
Tiny fat people? Like certain disproportional miniatures.
Sure. Look up Martin Burne's Brain Storm, that's my writer site.
Pretty much as we do, but also not. I've set out a blog post on the subject but the gist is that when human being expand to the stars, the real enemy they face is the microscopic kind - alien bacteria. Just think what would happen if one of them made an alteration to human reproduction, not causing the host any harm but preventing the expression of certain genes in unborn children. Well, it happens. The result is that there are varying degrees of infertility and development disorders.
If there were a robotic race like the Yor out there, this would be a frighteningly logical way to exterminate humans and other biologicals. Just stop them from being able to breed, and many generations later they've dwindled to the point where they're no longer a problem.
Like the story of GalCiv, the humans don't just take their lumps and watch their doom creep slowly towards them, they work together to ensure a better future.
If you have played mass effect. The same thing happened to the krogan. They couldn't reproduce. And fellow writers get karma easier from me.
DARCA
Thanks for the link. Will read next time I'll be hit by insomnia. And nice photo there. Any chance for full-size?
Interesting. But I don't think we need an alien bacteria, we'll do just fine in destroying ourselves. Don't remember exact words, but I agree with George Carlin's words on Extraterrestrial life, sort of "who in their mind going to fly here".
Ah, yes, krogans. The only bright spot on otherwise dim map of the galaxy.
I've played it, yeah. I had the 'alien bacteria/bio-weapon' idea in my head for a while but until recently I didn't have an angle to go with it, I was just rolling along until I could figure out what it means for the characters.
The Krogan thing wasn't some random alien bacteria though, the Genophage was a biological weapon.
I know. Tridus my Friend. I love ME more than star wars. (sorry galciv you don't have any movies)
But regarding Rudy_102s comments... MASS EFFECT IS A PERFECT, PERFECT, SERIES! its my second favorite game. (star wars battlefront2 is my favorite, as I have over 10,000 medals in that game. I think I was the best in the world.) what could you possibly not like? Maybe it doesn't translate effectively in Russian. Start liking ME or I will fly to Russia and force you to play the entire series till you start to! Lol.
**EDIT1** for Tridus. Do what again?
I'll PM it to you, got off-topic a bit here (oh, the shame of it all).
Lets not start that again. Mass Effect is also a series I like a lot, but ME 3 is... divisive. To put it mildly.
Maybe do it in a thread in the gaming forum, but certainly not in a Galciv 3 journal post.
You love you more than Star wars? Well, given Jar-Jar Binks, maybe it's valid point...
eass defekt 3.
Thank you very much!
When I see accurate person such as yourself, I know there is room to improve for me.
Precisely.
A bit OT, but does that look like the green admiral's uniform from Star Wars for the Empire?
They were gray uniform with a touch of Nazi chic.
Good old khaki instead? I wonder how difficult it'll be to made a render with it...
Kaki is made to hide in mud and plants, Gray hides better inside a Glass and Stainless starship.
I don't think any human military official will ever ware a vest like that because of the SI-FI stigma. Maybe something influenced traditional wares. Like all uniforms are. More medals and sashs and color. This for listening SD.
Is this just a campaign faction?
That story there really doesn't lend itself at all to a normal 4x game start. They have no planet or civilians, it's a war fleet popping out of a pocket dimension. It would be kind of strange if they then started a game with a planet, colony ship, and single unarmed (or armed) flagship, like everyone else.
Ok i like it but 2 things are irritating the heck out of me and maybe its just me.
1. The time in isolation tempered Bradley’s already steely soul into a core of pure diamond. Seems completely unnecessary over exoneration of his hardened cold core. 16 years of obsession and revenge make you zealous , cold and yes tempered. Steel and diamond seem out of place when so much of the rest of it appears to me more informative.
2. His demeanor, once friendly, is now cool and professional. The man was in charge of the 1st Terran fleet before the invasion much less after fighting in the dread lords war before the Drengin came in. Im sure he had to already be a professional military general already or he never would have been in charge in the first place.
Wouldn't his home system be earth. He just came from the pocket dimension to defeat the Drengin and likely lift the barrier with some of that fancy tech they now have. Earth has been isolated and removed for those last 16 years and somewhat untouched. Even if Bradley didn't come back there would be a division between the colony's and earth buy what they went through. To earth Bradley is there savior but to many colony's any hope of earth rescuing is long gone that or they were simply abandoned. Remember 16 years is long enough for nearly and entire generation to be forced under slave labor.
That actually might make a good campaign play mechanic. You can win the favor of already occupied colony's buy performing side quests or helping them rebel. Win a planet instead of just standard invasion ship tactic.
Ever? Ever is really long time. By next century stuff will have changed and previous stigma would have been all forgotten.
Actually, 16 years inside a bubble without any resources coming offworld would have forced Earth to most likely change it's approach on things as everything they need has to be produced locally from whatever stuff they have around locally.
Thats a valid point. But i started thinking of what exactly Resources are. According to the time table The space race started in 2178 and the current time is 2242. 64 years before that earth was already isolated resource wise. Energy needs are no longer a problem cause we invented cascading fusion power before any of the other races. Terran description seas humanity was mostly united and peaceful, Taller than we are on average now and used integrated nanotechnology to ward off defects and likely major health problems. In all honesty earth probably didn't have much trouble being isolated.
But there certainly would be a major shift on earth probably toward the production and weaponry area. I mean the seat of power did just loose an intergalactic war. Major loss of people and loved ones. Not to mention there is literally a Drengin Fleet hovering over there planet waiting to literally destroy and enslave the remnant of your race if not eat it. The only thing saving you is a see through barrier that you are unshure were it came (this detail may be rong earth might know were it came from) from but put there by Bradley knowing that at any moment it could drop. Basically your under perpetual threat of annihilation. I think most of us have seen battle star galactica and how fare we will go in the threat of extinction.
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